Workholder



Dec. 4, 1928.

.1. EDGAR WORKHOLDER Filed July 26, 1924 5 Sheets$heet l jizVenfoz'x AB 4 Jbhm E t Z4141? mu 4 ufflfys.

Dec. 4, 1928.

J. EDGAR WORKHOLDER Filed July 26, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I A fizz I J. EDGAR WORKHOLDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 152 Vezz fo r.- E

Dec 4, 1928.

Filed July 2e, 1924 Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDGAR, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BARBER-COLMAN COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WORKHOLDER.

Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to a work holding means for gear cutting machines and the like, wherein it is desirable to support the work rigidly and at the same time permit of its quick and easy insertion and removal.

In my copending application Serial No. 694,916, filing date February 25, 1924, I have shown a machine of this character, employing a large-diameter hob to generate teeth in rotating blanks, supported on opposite sides of the hob, the latter cutting up on one blank and down on the other. The machine is thus especially designed for a large volume of production, and it therefore is essential that the length of time required for removing and replacing the blanks be reduced as much as possible. It is a special object of this invention to provide a holder of the class described which comprises quick acting means permitting rapid removal and insertion of the blanks.

A further object is to provide a construction for the work holder, which is capable of effectually resisting vibration.

In the drawings I have shown generally a machine of the type above referred to, equipped with work holders embodying my invention. It is'to be understood, however, that the invention is capable of use in other machines, and that various changes in the construction and arrangement illustrated maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Figure 1 represents a general view of a gear cutting or roughing machine equipped with two work holders embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a View of one of the work holding fixtures as seen from the right hand end of the machine in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of the fixture of Fig. 2 along the line 3-3 thereof.

Fig. 4 shows the fixture of Fig. 2 with a blank in position tov be removed.

Fig. 5 shows a front view of the fixture of Fig. 2 as presented to the cutter.

Referring to Fig. 1, the machine bed carries centrally thereof a rotating hob 11 of large diameter. Carriages 12 and 13 are movable in ways 14 toward and away from the cutter 11. Each carriage is equipped with a work holding fixture 15 to which this sary in the production of spur gears because of the helical angle of the hob 11.

Each fixture comprises generally ablank carrying spindle and means to rotate said spindle. The spindle is made of two separate parts adapted to clamp the blank B between them, effective clamping and oper-- ating means being provided for rigidly holding and easy removal thereof. Inasmuch as both fixtures are in all substantial respects alike, I will confine my description thereof to the fixture on carriage 13.

The carriage 13 is provided with a base portion 16 for the fixture, from which extend upstanding bracket members 17 and 18, forming in effect an open frame. The brackets merge into a box or bearing head 19 which carries the upper part of the blankcarrying spindle. A shield or guard 20 is arranged over the face and sides of the cutter 11. Said frame is disposed transversely of the periphery of the cutter, parallel to the axis thereof, and it will be observed, providcs a supporting structure for the Work holder which lends substantial rigidity thereto.

The base 16 has a bearing box 21 for the the blank and for permitting quick 7 lower portion 22 (Fig. 3) of a blank-carry ing spindle. The spindle projects below the bearing and carries at its lower end a driven gear 23, which in the present instance is a helical gear corresponding to the helical angle of the cutter 11' in order that it may mesh with a driving spur (not shown).

The lower section 22 of the spindle is shown as having reduced and tapered ends 2 1 and 25 mounted incorrespondingly tapered sleeves 26 and 26 rigidly secured against endwise movement in the bearing box 21. An integral collar 27 is formed on the mid portion of this spindle section and hardened steel thrust washers 27 are interp0sedbetween opposite sides of this collar and the adjacent ends of the bearing sleeves 26 and 26. The lower washer, it will be observed, assumes the thrust in the case of the right hand spindle, where the direction of the-cut isin a downward direction, and the upper washer assumes the thrust in the case of the I left hand spindle where the direction of the cut is upward.

The upper end of the lower section of the spindle has a blank-carrying disk or clamping collar 28 which is keyed on a cylindrical portion 29 of the spindle. The disk 28 acts as a clamping member in cooperation with other parts mounted in the box 19 at the upper end of the fixture as will presently be described. The disk 28 may be replaced by another of a different character to conform to the dimensions of the ear blank B being cut. lower spindle section, above the cylindrical portion 29, is screw threaded in one portion and is further reduced at the extreme end 31 to form a small guiding cylindrical end which serves to protect the threads at 30.

The upper section of the spindle is inclicated by the numeral 32. It is mounted in the upper portion of the fixture framework in coaxial relation to the lower section and in such a way as to be axially movable toward and away from the lower spindle section 22. Thus it is journaled in bearings 32 fixed in the head 19, but is slidable relative thereto, and between its ends it carries a rigid annular flange 33. A lever 34 is pivoted in the frame at 35 and carries at its inner end a forkedpin 36 which engages both upper and lower sides of the flange 33. The operation of the lever serves to raise and lower the spindle section 32.

The lower end of the spindle section 32 is adapted to enter the central opening in the gear blank B when the latter has been placed centrally upon the disk 28, and to facilitate this movement the extreme lower end of the spindle section is beveled as at 37 (Fig. 4). Also, it is provided with an axial socket 37 (Fig. 4) the outer end of which is screw threaded at 37 b to engage the threaded upper end 30 of the spindle section 22. The inner end of the socket has a smaller cylindrical portion 38 which receives the guiding member 31 on the lower spindle-section to assure proper engagement of the threaded portion. 'An open space 40 above the guiding portion of. the socket serves to receive any chips or dirt which might otherwise affect the proper joinder of the two sections of the spindle.

For clamping the blank B between the two spindle sections, a clamping member 41 is carried by the upper section to cooperate with the clamping member 28 on the lower spindle section. This-member 41 is in the form of. a collar set against a shoulder 42 on the spindle section. The member is removable and its dimensions vary in accordance with the particular type of blank to be cut by the machine. A retainer ring 43 (Fig. fitting into grooves in both the spindle section and the member 41 serves to hold the member in position. A hand Wheel A reduced end 30 (Fig. 4 of the 44 is rigidly secured at the upper end of the spindle section 32 to effect the screw clamping action.

It will be observed that in mounting the blank in the fixture, the lower end of the upper spindle section enters the bore of the blank. In raising the latter it is possible that the blank may stick thereon and be carried upward instead of remaining on the lower clamping member 28. To insure that this shall not happen, and thus facilitate rapid removal, stripping means is provided in the form of a tubular member 45 removably secured to the upper head 19 of the framework. In the upward movement of the spindle section 32, the gear blank stops against the member 45 and is ,thus stripped from the spindle without any effort on the part of the operator. The clamping member 41 in this operation enters thetubular stripping member 45 (Fig. 4).

Assuming that a gear blank has been through the cycle of operations to be performed upon it and the carriage is being automatically withdrawn from the cutter; the operation of removing the finished work and inserting a new blank is as follows: The operator releases the work from between the two clamping members 28 and 41 by means of the hand wheel 44. Then with one hand he spins the hand wheel 44 to disconnect the two sections of the spindle rapidly, and with his other hand he operates the hand lever 34 to raise the upper spindle section and incidentally to strip the work therefrom. The

completed work is now removed through the" opening in the framework, and an uncut blank is placed in position between the spindle sections. A reverse operation of the lever 34 moves the lower end of the upper spindle section 32 through the bore of the blank into engagement with the threaded end 30 of the lower spindle, whereupon the hand wheel 44 is rotated to connect the spindle sections and clamp the blank thereon between the members 28 and 41. The operation requires, it

will be apparent, only a very short time, so that the operation of the machine may be practically continuous.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spur-gear cutting machine, the combination of a work spindle comprising two axially-alined sections, bearings in which the lower spindle section is rotatably mounted and held against longitudinal movement, hearings in which the upper spindle section is rotatably and'slidably mounted, a hand lever connected to the upper spindle section for sliding the latter, one of the spindle sections having a threaded end and the other section having a threaded socket therefor, a clamping member non-r0- tatably fixed to the upper portion of the lower spindle section, a clamping member attached to the lower portion of the upper spindle section, said clamping members being adapted to confine a spur gear blank therebetween with the threaded portions of said spindle sections extending through the bore of the blank, a hand wheel on the upper end of the upper spindle section for rotating said spindle section to screw the two spindle sections together and clamp the blank between said clamp'ng members, a stripper located adjacent to the upper spindle section in position to engage the gear blank when the upper spindle section is raised by means of said lever, and means attached to the lower end of the lower spindle section for rotating the work spindle and the blank.

2. A work holder comprising, 'in combinat on, a support, a spindle having two axially alined sections mounted in said support, one of said sections being mounted for endwise movement, means operative to clamp a piece of work on the spindle, including a screw connection between the spindle sections, means for slidably moving the movable section of the spFndle axially, and means, including a hand wheel on one of the spindle sections for rotating the same in the operation of connecting and disconnecting the spindle sections.

3. A work holder for a gear-cutting machine comprising, a support, a pair of clamping members rotatably mounted in said support, said members also being mounted for relative axial movement, rotatable means for effecting the connection and disconnection of said members and the clamping of the work therebetween, and lever operated means for effecting relative axial movement between the members.

i. A work holding means for gear cutting machines and the like comprising, in combination, a fixture frame adapted to be mounted transversely of the periphery of the cutter, a spindle mounted in the frame and adapted to removably support a blank in the frame opening, said spindle comprising two alined sections, one of which is mounted for axial movement in the'frame, means providing a screw connection between the spindle sections, means on one of said spindle sections for rotating it to screw and unscrew said sections and clamp and. uncla-mp the blank, and a lever fulcrumed on the frame and associated with the mov-.

able section of the spindle whereby to effect an axial movement between it and the other section of the spindle.

5. A work holder comprising, in combination, a base, a unitary fixture frame mounted on said base, a spindle having axially alined sections in opposite ends of said frame, one of said sections being longitudinally fixed in the frame and the other being longitudinally movable, means to move said last mentioned. section, means to connect .said sections, means to clamp a blank axially v said sections, clamping members on said sec tions adapted in the threaded engagement of said sections to clamp a Work blank therebetween, and means to rotate said clamped blank.

7. A work holder comprising, in combination, a rotatable spindle member held against endwise movement, a rotatable spindle member axially alined with the fixed member and axially movable, a threaded socket in one of said members, a screw on the other member adapted to engage in said socket, and means for clamping a blank between the members wien the latter are screwed together.

8. In a gear cutting machine, the combination of a cutter, an upright spindle mounted approximately tangentially of the periphery of the cutter, means' for driving the spindle, means including intcrengaging screw-threaded members for clamping work on the spindle for engagement by said cutter, and a hand wheel above the cutter adapted to operate one'of said members.

9. A work holder comprising a spindle having means providing a seat for the work and means for removably securing the work on said seat comprising a member mounted for axial sliding movement relative to said spindle and having a screwthreaded connection therewith, and a clamping member carried by said sliding member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOHN EDGAR. 

